Where to Watch the NBA Playoffs in NYC

By Ted on Wednesday, May 4, 2011
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Heat vs. Celtics

Game 1 -- yes, we were a little late on coming out of the box here -- featured essentially a rout, the C's losing their first game of these playoffs, Paul Pierce getting tossed, D-Wade re-discovering his mojo, and signs that the Heat Trifecta could run the entire table in the East. The most logical assumption for this series would be that everyone wins when they're home, setting up a Game 7 in Miami (which, if the pattern holds, Miami would win). If the series goes seven games, expect 10-15 ejections and at least three people openly bleeding on a court. Gonna be a dogfight. It's also quite possible that a Game 6-7 of this series could set a single-game, non-Finals TV record.

Hawks vs. Bulls

To summarize this series very briefly (as we will the next one): Bulls are too good. Bulls-Magic would have been a far more interesting series, all told. This is likely over in five -- if THIS series goes seven, things get interesting, though. The base assumption here is that the Bulls will get a team who just went through a war (BOS/MIA) and they will be rested. If CHI has to work to knock down Atlanta, that'd make the ECF more interesting. Side note: about two months ago, people were saying the Hawks coach was going to get fired. Never trust the media on knee-jerk rumors.

Mavericks vs. Lakers

Interestingly, these teams haven't met since 1988 in the playoffs. Less than interestingly, this is an ultimate matchup of a team with a lot of history closing (LAL) and a team with a lot of history choking (DAL). What do you think is going to happen, realistically?

Grizzlies vs. Thunder

Grizz have no business winning this series, save for the fact that they're on a George Mason 2006 run right now and may not lose until they absolutely must or the universe will collapse into Beale Street (which, tangentially, is somewhat overrated). Also, if MEM comes through here, it would be kind of cool to see Gasol vs. Gasol in the WCF. That is indeed something to root for -- although Durant and Westbrook and company, who took the Lakers to seven last season, would be a nice foil in the WCF as well.